Page 10 of Fallen Hearts

“Just remembering the time Dad warned away that blonde tourist Beck tried to take home.”

“The twenty-one-year-old?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Your dad was something else.”

That was an understatement. “I can’t believe he’s fucking gone.”

“Wild Turkey, neat,” Beck said, sliding a glass toward me. I hadn’t even noticed my first drink was gone. “On the house.”

I lifted the glass in thanks to him and took a sip, the rich whiskey sliding down my throat.

“Isn’t that the woman from earlier today?” Parker nudged me in the arm. “Pia?”

Sure enough, the stunning brunette was pulling out a seat at the opposite end of the bar from us. She hadn’t seen us yet, but it was impossible not to notice her. I’d never met anyone in my life before with such clear blue eyes. Coupled with dark hair and the fullest fucking lips on the planet, Pia Russo had made one hell of an entrance earlier that day. Having just buried my father, I had no business imagining tearing the woman’s clothes off, clearing the kitchen island with my hand and laying her down atop it. But that was exactly what I’d been thinking the entire time we talked. She was sexy as fucking hell. No wonder Beck had been panting after her all day and was in full-blown stalking mode now as he served her.

The guy was an absolute manwhore. We all loved women, but Beck simply couldn’t stay away from them.

“Beck isn’t wasting any time,” I said.

“She doesn’t seem to be into him.” Parker’s surprise mirrored my own. Most women loved Beck. Like Parker, he could charm the habit off a nun with his sense of humor and good looks, but that didn’t seem to be working. Part of my Ranger training showed me how to read body language, which in the field could be the difference between life or death. In this particular instance, it signaled the difference between interest and non-interest.

And she was about as interested in him as I was in hiring a manager for the inn. No one had run Heritage Hill but my dad, with the exception of my mother, when she was alive.

Pia finally looked our way, our eyes locking.

As expected, she didn’t seem pleased. Just the opposite, in fact. I could tell she wanted to be nice, probably because of my dad, but her anger was as palpable now as it had been this afternoon. The woman should really stay away from poker.

“She’s not starting a Mason fan club anytime soon.”

“Agreed,” I said without looking at Parker. Damned if I would break eye contact first.

“Man, did you see those eyes of hers?”

I was looking into them right now. “I did.”

“I still can’t believe you tossed her onto the street.”

Finally, Pia looked away. She’d lasted longer than expected.

“She’s not a street urchin. The woman is clearly capable and will be fine. I already talked to Paul and got her deposit returned and rent cleared for the month.”

“Yeah, but still. She quit her damn job and moved from Oregon.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Which is clear across the country.”

“And what’s so funny about that?”

“Never mind.”

“I still think you should reconsider. Seems to me the perfect solution. You’re about as personable as this coaster.” He lifted up the coaster from under his glass as evidence.

Unlike a lot of people, Parker wasn’t intimidated by my frown.

“What? It’s true and you know it.”

“Fuck off,” I said, as lovingly as possible.

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